A few tips to make your trip to Vietnam more perfect

Vietnam can be a hassle if you are not entirely familiar with the customs, traditions and habits of the locals. Every traveler must have had a couple of (maybe more) gaffes and blunders in a foreign country, so here we give some tips on how to avoid those in Vietnam. Perhaps you will still run into awkward situations, but if you want to make it more or less smooth, keep reading.

Photo by Võ Rin

1. Don't sit with your feet pointing towards a family altar if you are staying in someone’s house.

2. Don't take pictures of anything to do with the military, this can be considered a breach of national security and, trust us, you don’t want to see the inside of a Vietnamese jail.

4. Do not cause the Vietnamese to “lose face”. The concept of “saving face” is extremely important in East Asian social relationships in general and inVietnam in particular. Never lose your temper. Losing your temper inVietnam means a loss of face, and then the locals won’t speak to you again or will not respect you as the way you wish. Do not show off; just keep a low profile and a cool head, and remain polite.

5. Items should be passed with both hands

6. Do not rush residents. They hate it. They take their time and there is no rush for them. If you have to wait 10 minutes for your coffee, just deal with it, do not scream or show how unsatisfied you are for people take things slow and easy.

7. Always take your shoes off when entering a Vietnamese home.

8. When dining with a Vietnamese family wait for head of the family or the eldest to start eating first before you do.

Vietnamese culture may be still mysterious and unknown to most people outside the country. Today, more and more people are going to Vietnam for traveling and doing business. Getting to know Vietnam and Vietnamese culture is interesting and fascinating. We hope with this website, you can find the most comprehensive information about culture of Vietnam and its traditions.